Yay, Nelie! The more you ride the more comfortable you'll be!

I did 10 miles today! I was amazed but it was a pretty decent wide path with only minor ups/downs. One thing is I had some *ahem* seat pain that really stopped me from going further although my legs were tired. I think I may need a different bike seat or adjustment or something. Anyway I can see a vast improvement from my wobbly day 1 last week until today.

I need to hang out in the exercise forum more...there's a biker chick thread and I haven't been in it.

Nelie- holy :censored: girl...how have I missed your ticker lately? That's amazing!! The sore butt syndrome goes away if you stick with it...bike shorts or a gel seat work too.

Jo - 45MPH? :eek: :faint: I happen to ride a scooter so I know what 45 MPH feels like on 2 wheels...but still.

Mazza - RAWK on, girl. You won't catch me on a BMX bike anytime soon...so I'll live vicariously thru you. :cool:

Lydia - WTG with 18-20 MPH - I need to actually install the speedometer I bought like 2 years ago. :p I seem to average around 17-18 MPH on an hour long ride, but I would like it see it as I ride.

Midwife - I'm still dealing with the visual of removable padded underwear. :lol3: I have a gel seat - so I haven't bothered with the shorts....

I s'pose I should introduce myself....I ride a Specialized Hard Rock Mountain bike that I bought off a friend for $50....it has been modified a bit with clip in pedals, hybrid tires and a rack for my panniers....I ride outdoors mostly on weekends, we have an amazing bike trail here in Sacramento that goes 30 miles mostly along the American River. I also ride to work maybe once or twice a week - at least when it isn't over like 95 degrees..but most of my riding is indoors, I enjoy x-bike, I'm training to be an instructor. I like regular spin classes as well...but x-bike really gets my heart rate up.

Wow, xbike looks amazing.

Chick - my ticker has been mostly the same for the past year sadly but its there :)

I bought a trainer today because I really need to practice with some stability plus it'll be good for rainy and cold days in the future. I plan to stick to biking.

One thing I realized is my hand placement is 'wrong' because I have a regular road bike with curved handles and the road has you leaning a bit forward. So I want to place my hands 99% of the time on the part closest to me where I can grip (also I have a second set of brakes there). I know I should move my hands a little more out to be on the top of the curved bars (where I can also brake and shift) but I have a fear that my hands are going to slip off somehow. I think the trainer will help me get more comfortable with that position.

We went to the bike store where we bought the trainer and I sat on one bike because it had a different seat. It was a hybrid I believe and the bike had me sitting more upright. The bike also basically only had one hand position as opposed to my bike which has multiple. I also sat on a cruiser for fun. I think cruisers are interesting bikes and if I wanted to just get into bike riding without thoughts of a triathalon, it is probably the type of bike I would've bought.

Originally Posted by chick_in_the_hat:
I need to hang out in the exercise forum more...there's a biker chick thread and I haven't been in it.

My reaction exactly :) I started biking again back in May and am addicted. I've planned all our summer trips around campgrounds near rail trails ;) Unfortunately nothing like that near me so I just ride on our roads and hope the drivers are polite (it's Vermont and they usually are).

Nelie - you're rocking! Now you need a nice wide gel seat and some of those padded shorts. I'm not sure who those scrawny seats are made for!

It's great to see you all here!

Originally Posted by nelie:
Chick - my ticker has been mostly the same for the past year sadly but its there :)

:doh: Shows ya how observant I am. Well - then more power to you, that means you know how to maintain. :cb: My ticker has been in the same weight range (+ or - 10 pounds) since 2004.

Allright time to get off my duff and go for a ride. :bike2:

Chick in the hat - the riding you do sounds awesome! $50 sounds like a good deal for the bike you got - especially since, I'm guessing, upgrading and modifying cost you less than a whole new bike would have been.

Nelie - you raised a good point about hand positioning. Does anyone else get pain in their thumbs after riding for too long with their hands in the basic riding position (that is, hands on the handlebars on the parts closest to you)?
One of my bikes only has one hand position, and I find that extended periods of riding (especially on flat road, where I am leaning forward more so) occasionally results in pain in my thumbs.

Now I'm off to mountain X BMX at sydney olympic park for some dirt jumps. Seeya girls!

Hey guys, come over to the September thread! What life in this thread! I love it!!!